A Glimpse into our Corporate Archives

Caterpillar's history dates back over 100 years, and our products and services that have helped our customers with infrastructure projects that have shaped our modern world. We’re proud of our rich history and the stories we can share.

Helping preserve important artifacts and tell the stories of our past is our Corporate Heritage Services team in Mossville, Illinois, U.S.  Heritage Services functions as the custodian and promoter of Caterpillar's history by growing and maintaining its heritage collection while serving the business as trusted advisors and storytellers.

 

Combining Today’s Work with the Past 

About the Archives

Not every job at Caterpillar is focused on the production line or set in an office environment. Our archives collection is stored in a climate-controlled space which hosts years of Caterpillar history, artifacts, equipment and memorabilia. 

  • Caterpillar Archives was established in the 1950s during the publication of a corporate history book titled, “Fifty Years on Tracks.”
  • Renamed Corporate Heritage Services in 2015 to better reflect the value that the department adds back to the business.
  • 13,000 square ft. state of the art archives in Mossville, IL
  • The team’s motto: “Artifacts tell great stories, and great stories inspire.” 
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"What is a Corporate Archivist?" with Lee Fosbugh
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Cases inside Corporate Archives facility
Storage shelves inside Corporate Archives facility
Antique Machine at Archives
Archivist looking through book in Archives facility

About the Collection

  • Over 1 million images
  • 1,000+ artifacts
  • 25 antique machines
  • 300 pieces of art
  • 100,000+ digital assets
  • Rarest artifact: Basketball used in the 1952 Olympics
  • Great story: Documentation establishing how Caterpillar received its name

 

The Work | Corporate Heritage Services

  • Preservation
  • Research
  • Storytelling
  • Digitalization
  • Graphic design
  • Digital asset management

View the Collection

At any time, a small portion of our archives collection is available for viewing at the Caterpillar Visitors Center in Peoria, Illinois, U.S. 

View the latest exhibit

Explore our History

Each week we open our vault to share stories of our people and products over the last 100 years.

Learn More